Crochet Nesting Baskets with Zpagetti Yarn

I was lucky enough to receive several cones of Zpagetti yarn from the lovely Gwen at Hoooked, I’d been curious about it for a while and was delighted to give it a try. It’s made from fabric off cuts from the garment industry, so it’s a sustainable product that defers textiles from entering landfill.
I am in desperate need of places to store all my crafty bits and pieces, so making some baskets was the logical option.
These baskets work up quite quickly and if you make them in graduating sizes, they can nest into each other. I’ve included basic instructions and a video, but I do assume you have some experience with crochet.
You will need:
Zpagetti yarn in assorted colours
12mm Bamboo hook
stitch marker (optional)

Stitches used:
US terminology (UK in brackets)
Magic ring
chain ch
slip stitch sl
single crochet sc (double crochet dc)
I’ve included photos and a video on how to do a single crochet sc stitch

How to:
Making the base of the basket required you to crochet a flat circle. There are great instructions here which explains how to make a nice flat circle.

Here is how to do a single crochet stitch in both step by step and video form.
1. Here is the place you will insert the hook.
2. Insert the hook in the next stitch.
3. Pull through your yarn (also called yarn over)
4. You should have 2 loops on your hook now.
5. Yarn over again
6. Pull through both loops and your are done.

Watch the video to see how it all works (I was holding the camera with my chin so please forgive any blurry bits)

I started with a magic ring and used 6 sc in my first round, 12 in the second, 18 in the third etc.

The larger you make your circle, the larger the basket base will be.

Once you are happy with the size of the base, continue to crochet sc in a spiral but with no increases. The sides will start to curl up and build the walls of the basket. Use all one colour, or do as I have and changed colours half way up.

Continue to make as tall as desired.

To create the different sizes:
Small = 4 rounds base, 6 rounds side
Medium = 5 rounds base, 10 rounds side
Large = 6 rounds base, 9 rounds side (the dark pink yarn was chunkier than the blue so even with fewer rounds it was taller)
To finish, slip stitch and then weave your end in.
Working with the zpagetti yarn was quite easy but physically harder than normal yarn. Rather than using your wrists for leverage and control, I found it was easier to work from my elbow and shoulders.
Handy for storage…
…or as a hat!
The yarn works up very quickly and is suited for projects that will take some wear and tear. Because it has a lot of body, the sides of the baskets are very sturdy. I enjoyed working with Zpagetti yarn so much I even made a crocheted doiley mat with it. You may have already seen it if you follow me on Instagram. See my Doiley Mat.

Have you used recycled textile yarns in the past? I’d love to hear your experience with it.

This is not a sponsored post although I did receive product to review although I was under no obligation to do so. As always, projects and opinions are my own.

These are really cute! I can’t crochet, but can knit quite well, I wonder how this yarn would be in knitting? I love working with strange yarns, and this one certainly sounds very fun and interesting! Thank-you for sharing!
Sarah xo

I was sent some knitting needles but I can only do the most basic of stitches. I did knit up a little sample dish cloth quite quickly. It’s very chunky and textural. Great for large scale stuff. Also quite stretchy.

I am going to try my hand at these baskets… with some homemade t-shirt yarn from old shirts I have lying around. Since I am from the states, I do not have the option to purchase this yarn, so I’ll make do =). I am hopeful my baskets will be as cute and functional as yours look to be!!

My daughter and I have never crocheted before but had a go after visiting your blog. I wanted to let you know that I have linked this post on my lasted post. Thanks for the inspiration.
Niccola and Ruby

Just finished my first go at a basket – but it’s a lot saggier and baggier than yours! It just doesn’t seem to have the structure at the sides (I do have quite even stitches but perhaps they are just looser than yours?). It also curves in at the top. I don’t mind it, it will make a friendly, homely bread basket! But I would be interested if you have any hints and tips on how to get it more “rigid” as yours seem to appear. If I got one of my kids to put it on their head it would be more a beret than a hat! Thanks!

Sounds like your tension is looser, you may want to try using a smaller hook? I crochet with a very tight tension generally so maybe that helps with stiffness. Not sure why it curves in, if you changed yarn maybe the yarn at the top has less stretch?

Success! I did indeed change hook size (to 10mm) and that certainly helped with wobbliness. And I also discovered why mine was curving in – I was working round my basket from the inside (as in inserting my hook from the inside or the basket to the outside) while in your pictures, you were working from outside the basket (inserting your hook from the outside to the inside) and lo! A straight edge basket! Love it!
Have just unravelled my first attempt so that I can try again with my refined technique! They are sooo quick to make up, it’ll be worth it!
Thanks for your suggestions!

Forgive me if I’m wrong but it looks like you don’t yarn over, your yarn is coming from beneath. I noticed when you do a treble you start with a yarn over but the rest of stitch is completed with the yarn coming from beneath again. Just wondering if you have better results doing this than the traditional way?

Technically it is a yarn over but rather than my hand doing the work, I let the hook grab the yarn, it’s more efficient that way. It’s just the way I was taught by my mum, i think it’s a European style. the stitch result is the same. She is a very efficient knitter and crocheter and tries to keep excessive movements to a minimum

Hi can you use any other yarn for this and the heart basket? I haven’t had yarn since I started crocheting so haven’t had much practice and when I did use all my savings to buy yarn to make blankets for other people all my crochet stuff was stolen whilst in hospital here. I feel very disheartened and feel like giving up crocheting :(. I really wanted to crochet a blanket or something for myself but I can’t find the right pattern. Any way we can’t get this yarn in the uk as far as I’m aware so what cld I use instead?

These look awesome! I’ve been searching for some soft baskets to match one my son has that I love but can’t find them anywhere that I want to buy. Wondering how much yarn you’d say it took to make the size basket you did. I’ve been a knitter in the past, but have not yet crocheted…this looks like the perfect project to start with!

The baskets didn’t use much yarn. I’d say a third of a skein for the big size. It’s had to tell because I used a few colours. If you can get hold of a ball of t-shirt yarn you can make several baskets for sure.

I love these! I made some of these up, filled them up with goodies to eat, and gave them to my mother. She loved them! And wouldn’t you know it, my kids had the instinct to wear them on their heads, too! I wrote about them in this post about t-shirt yarn crocheted baskets. Thanks so much for the tutorial! Lisa

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